People are exploring new ways to safely enjoy our favorite activities again and The Flaming Lips think they're onto something with their individualized space bubbles.
Here's how it works, according to CBS News:
"The band put on two shows where attendees — and musicians — stood inside “space bubbles” to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The band ordered space bubbles from China for an October show at the Criterion theater in Oklahoma City. The first floor of the venue was filled with around 300 fans in enclosed in plastic bubble barriers.
The plastic pods keep fans at a safe distance, and Coyne emphasized that each bubble is cleaned out with about 20 ounces of 70% isopropyl alcohol, hit with a leaf blower until the liquid is evaporated, and then scrubbed down by a person in a full painter’s suit and mask. The cleaning process is extensive after each show. The bubbles hold enough oxygen for three people to breathe for “over an hour and 10 minutes” before they need to be refreshed with a leaf blower, Coyne said, according to BBC News.
Each bubble has a speaker inside, so the band’s sound wasn’t muffled, as well as a fan, water and a towel to wipe down condensation.
If fans needed to leave their bubble, they had an “I gotta go pee/hot in here” sign and a venue staff member would escort them to the bathroom while wearing masks.Since clapping inside the bubbles sounded muted, people instead applauded by “punching the top of their bubble,” Poppe said.The fans left the venue by rolling their bubbles to the exit, then putting on masks and unzipping their plastic globe to leave the venue.
Seems pretty clever, right? But is it as safe as it seems? Time will tell.